Recapture Rates of Voluntarily Released Largemouth Bass

The voluntary release of legally harvestable game fish is widespread, but there is a lack of data on the sociological and biological effects of catch and release. This study assessed the effects of voluntarily releasing largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides on subsequent catch and on growth rates of recaptured fish in a multispecies fishery under statewide regulations. From 1979 to 1983, I angled, tagged, and released 339 largemouth bass and recaptured 74 of them. There was no statistically significant relationship between fish size and probability of recapture. The proportion of previously released fish in the catch increased significantly during the study, suggesting that voluntary release effectively “recycled” largemouth bass and that natural or hooking and handling mortality did not negate the effects of catch and release. Results indicate that voluntary catch and release of largemouth bass can maintain or improve fishing quality in similar situations.